Indonesian women's emancipation icon Raden Ajeng Kartini has long been gone but her persistence in defending women's right to a proper education continues to inspire people.

Students at Taman Rama, an international school under the flag of the Mahatma Gandhi Foundation, have various perspectives on Kartini and how they can honor her memory.

Lidya, an 11th grader at Taman Rama, said modern Kartinis should make use of the opportunity to receive as much education as they could.

"Today's women should not be in the losing position compared to men," she said here Monday.

Lidya, who just finished fifth in a Bali scientific writing competition, has proven that she deserves to be called a modern Kartini.

Martha, a fifth grader who won a recent national science Olympiad, said Kartini had opened opportunities for women to learn as much as they could.

"We should honor her and make use of the opportunity as much as we can," she said, adding that Kartini had inspired her and hopefully she could prove herself through science.

"I hope one day I can invent something useful for human beings," said the girl, who wishes to become a doctor.

The adoration of Kartini, whose spirit is immortalized in the celebration of Kartini Day, which falls on April 21, is not an exclusively girl's thing. A male student said he also respected the female hero.

Kevin a fourth grader who won third place in an English speech competition in Bali, said, "Modern Kartinis are lucky, they don't have to struggle just to have the right to pursue formal education, therefore the modern Kartinis should pursue knowledge as much as possible."

Head of Denpasar's Family Welfare Movement (PKK), Bintang Puspayoga, said Kartini Day should not be celebrated by only organizing events or competitions.

"It should be a momentum for us to realize that women should not just enjoy the results of development; instead we all should participate actively in the process of development in the country," she said.

Maya V. Ram, a representative of Taman Mahatma Gandhi Foundation, said Kartini's views and thoughts had given motivation and encouraged women not to give up and to struggle for their goals.

"Therefore we always celebrate Kartini Day by giving a chance for all women to take control of the school on that day," she told the audience during the Kartini Day commemoration.

She added that it was a way to honor and respect women,

"We are all born and live because of a woman who we called mother," she said.

Kartini Day at the school was filled with science and art exhibitions, and dance performances accompanied by tabuh gegilak agung (traditional musical instruments) played by foreign and local teachers.

After that students performed traditional dances and songs from several regions in Indonesia, including from Aceh, Sulawesi and Ambon.

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